The Hong Kong Observatory has issued its Strong Wind Signal No. 3 as Typhoon Koinu approaches the city after making landfall in Taiwan.
The alert was raised at 5.40 pm, when Koinu was roughly 260 kilometres east-southeast of Hong Kong.
According to its present track, Tropical Cyclone Koinu is expected to be closest to Hong Kong on Saturday, by which time it will have weakened from a typhoon to a severe tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 kilometres per hour near its centre.
It made landfall on the southern tip of Taiwan on Thursday, bringing the strongest winds ever recorded on the island. An 84-year-old woman died after being injured by glass shattered during the gales.
Winds in Hong Kong were forecast to strengthen gradually on Friday, and there were swells, the Observatory said.
“Koinu is expected to edge closer to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary in the next couple of days,” the Observatory said. “With the circulation of Koinu being relatively small, the need for issuance of higher tropical cyclone warning signals by then will depend on the intensity of Koinu and its distance from Hong Kong.”
Squally showers were predicted for the weekend, causing the cancellation of several events under the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign, designed to boost consumption amid a weak post-pandemic recovery.
“As the harbourfront sites are exposed to wind and not sheltered, the [Development Bureau] has touched base with the co-organisers and decided to cancel the activities in the coming weekend in order to safeguard safety of the public and the stall operators, and to avoid inconvenience to the stall operators due to unstable weather,” the government said in a statement issued on Thursday night.
Extreme weather events increasing
Koinu follows what the Observatory described as an “eventful” month for extreme weather in Hong Kong.
In September, the city was hit by Super Typhoon Saola, the second most intense tropical cyclone to affect the South China Sea since 1950 that triggered the Hong Kong’s highest typhoon warning signal for the first time since 2018. With wind speeds of up to 154 kilometres per hour, it felled thousands of trees; damaged signboards, scaffolding and windows; and caused 460 flights to be cancelled.
A week later, prolonged torrential rain hit Hong Kong, causing the Black rainstorm warning to be in place for 16 hours and 32 minutes, the longest duration since the alert system was introduced in 1992.
At least two people died during the deluge, and more than 140 were injured.
Climate experts told HKFP last month that recent extreme weather events were a reminder that “climate change is really here,” adding that typhoons and temperatures would become more intense.
Typhoon Signal 3
The No. 3 signal warns of strong winds affecting, or expected to affect, Hong Kong within 12 hours.
- Classes of kindergartens and schools for children with physical or intellectual disabilities will be suspended.
- Scheduled ferry services may be cancelled as conditions worsen. Bus and MTR services are not affected.
- Residents should secure loose objects like flower pots or drying racks, and prepare for possible flooding in low-lying areas.
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